An Interview of Ms. Zhanna LESHCHYNSKA, Charge d'Affaires, to "World Tourism Cities" Magazine (published by the World Tourism Cities Federation), #37 (3 September, 2021) wtcf-magazineukrainian-charge-daffaires-interview-article.pdf

I’d like to take this opportunity to invite our  Chinese friends to visit, discover and explore Ukraine, and to have a very comfortable and superb travel experience in our country. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Ukrainian government has taken a series of measures to prevent the epidemic to ensure the health and safety of its citizens and international friends there. Thanks to such initiatives, the epidemic in Ukraine has gradually been brought under control. Many of the sectors affected by the pandemic are beginning to recover step by step, including the Ukrainian tourism industry. To further promote tourism development and help our  foreign friends to learn more  about Ukraine, the Ukrainian government has decided to further relax visa requirements  for visitors from several countries. In particular, a visa-free entry system for Chinese citizens entering Ukraine for tourism purposes has been in place since August 1, 2020. For one thing, this fully reflects the warm and friendly attitude of the Ukrainian people towards the Chinese people. For another, this shows our expectation for  more Chinese visitors to Ukraine.

In recent years, we’ve done a lot of research on Chinese tourists’ travel habits and preferences. And we have concluded that the available tourism resources in Ukraine are highly compatible with the travel concepts and needs of Chinese travellers, and that Ukraine can offer many unforgettable travel experiences for Chinese visitors.

First, Ukraine is rich and diverse in tourism resources. Chinese tourists to Ukraine can enjoy a wide range of quality tourism programs. For instance, you can explore the rich history of Ukraine at the UNESCO-listed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra or Lviv’s Old Town, both being the World Cultural Heritage Sites. You can visit the ancient  forests of the Carpathian Mountains, recognized as a World Natural Heritage Site. You can also visit the Black Sea beaches in Odesa, popular with Chinese tourists, to enjoy the colorful nature landscape of Ukraine. In addition, you can try the famous Ukrainian borshch (beetroot soup) and Varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings) in the luxurious restaurants on the streets of downtown Kharkiv. You can visit the bars hidden in various corners of Lviv’s Old Town for authentic Hot Pepper Horilka (Ukrainian pepper spirits) and the freshest craft beer. You can also buy local Ukrainian folk handicrafts or take home some  fashionable clothes created by famous Ukrainian designers who are renowned throughout Europe .

Second, Ukraine has a well-developed service industry. Chinese tourists can choose from some of Europe’s most  budget-friendly hotels and hostels in the heart of a  metropolis or by the sea. The local staff are highly professional and understand the needs of Chinese tourists. Hence Chinese friends who come from afar can enjoy the most attentive and warm service there. Considering these factors, we believe that Ukraine has become the best destination in Europe for Chinese tourists , based on its  tourism resources and the level of travel convenience. Therefore, I’d like to take this opportunity to invite our  Chinese friends to visit, discover and explore Ukraine, and to have a very comfortable and superb travel experience in our country.

This year, Ukraine has also purchased COVID-19 vaccines produced in China. So far, 8,240,000 doses have been successfully supplied to Ukrainian citizens for inoculation. This is a successful example of the global fight against the epidemic. I’m sure that all nations need to promote a spirit of solidarity in the face of the pandemic and work together as a team to deal with this perilous enemy. Moreover, when one nation is in trouble, we need to provide all the help we can. For example , when COVID-19 broke out in China, many social organizations, institutions, schools, etc., in Ukraine began to send masks and other epidemic prevention products to China. And after the outbreak of the epidemic in Ukraine, a large amount of humanitarian aid was provided to Ukraine from all over China. This year, Ukraine has also purchased COVID-19 vaccines produced in China. So far, 8,240,000 doses have been successfully supplied to Ukrainian citizens for inoculation. This is a successful example of the global fight against the epidemic.

As for how to boost recovery in various sectors of the economy via cooperation amid the epidemic, we need to embrace innovations and introduce new methods and technologies into our work to facilitate communications.

Let’s take the example of Ukraine-Chinese collaboration. Since the outbreak, exchanges in many fields between our two countries have been affected to some extent. In particular, it has become very hard to arrange visits  and thus to maintain timely communication on many daily cooperation issues. However, because of the efforts and innovations of various government agencies and enterprises, a very effective online communication mechanism has been established following a period of adaptation. Basically, all the meetings, conferences, matchmaking events, etc. can now be held smoothly online. Up to now, practical intergovernmental and private cooperation has gradually resumed in many fields, which has played an essential role in the development of the relevant economic sectors in both countries.

With these new modes of exchange, we are confident that we can bolster cooperation between our two countries, including the tourism sector. Therefore, we welcome the relevant Chinese parties willing to cooperate with the Ukrainian tourism sector to contact the Embassy of Ukraine. The Embassy will undoubtedly assist in arranging online matchmaking and online exchange activities. We will help both sides make practical contributions to explore each other’s tourism markets further and increase the number of exchange visits of tourists, thus accelerating the recovery of tourism in both countries.